My Hero
by Michelle Lancaster
Summary: Short and sweet little Malink short story how they met and fell in love. Complete
1. Fairy Boy

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, or the songs (Garth Brooks "Wrapped Up in You" and "To Make You Feel My Love.")

**My Hero**

**PART ONE: FAIRY BOY**

_How do I love you_

_Well let me see_

_I love you like a lyric loves a melody_

_Baby, completely_

_Wrapped up in you_

_How do I need you_

_Well can't you tell_

_I need you like a penny needs a wishing well_

_Baby, completely_

_Wrapped up in you_

Talon was late. Talon was always late, so Malon wasn't surprised. She was a little bit annoyed, though; he had been on a delivery up to the castle, and she was willing to bet he had fallen asleep. It was a bad habit of her father's, one she was determined to break, and so she headed up to Hyrule Castle Market to see if she could find him. Having made this trip before, she wasn't too concerned, and simply left the hired hand, Ingo, in charge of Lon Lon Ranch when she headed off.

An hour or two later, she was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the middle of town, leaning with her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, watching the castle and waiting for her father to emerge from the grounds so that she could lecture him; at times like these, she felt like the parent in their relationship.

She swung her feet casually and hummed to herself as she sat; she was a patient person, but she did fidget when she was bored. Of course, the best way to combat boredom in Hyrule Castle Town was people watching.

"Can't you knock the price any lower?"

"Oh, hi, nice to see you again!"

"What will you give me for this?"

"All right, deal."

"Sorry, what did you say?"

All the adults' voices were just white noise if she didn't try to distinguish them from one another. There was one voice, though, which stood out to her ear immediately.

"Um…hi! Hello! Excuse me! Can I just…oh…"

Looking around, Malon found the source of the words. She soon spotted a boy about her own age, standing near a busy merchant's stand, trying and failing to get the attention of the consumers that surrounded him. Yet this boy looked very different from the others in the town, and Malon had no difficulty in determining why. His clothes were different, consisting of a green tunic and hat with leather boots, and he was armed with a small sword and a wooden shield. But, most oddly of all, there was something following him in a trail of glimmering sparks before darting into his hat at the hairline…a fairy. Malon furrowed her brow slightly, watching him. A fairy. Fairies came from the forest, as did the children they accompanied. And yes, now that she thought about it, those were definitely forest clothes, and that shield on his back was definitely decorated with a forest emblem. He was clearly a boy from the southeastern woodlands— But those children couldn't leave that forest.

With an annoyed sigh at the lack of acknowledgment he was receiving, the boy fell back from the crowd and looked around him to see if anyone at all cared that he was here. Malon quickly snapped her gaze away when she realized she had been staring, but a split second too late. He had seen her. She tried to look casual as he approached, as though she couldn't see him and of course hadn't been watching him curiously. Talk about her father's bad habits; spying on strangers was worse.

"Hi," said the boy, standing directly beside her so that there was no way she could possibly mistake to whom he was speaking.

Malon put on an expression of mild surprise as she turned to look at him, as if he had broken into her daydreaming. "Oh! Hello," she said politely.

He was about her age, ten years old, and close to her in height. His skin was fair but weathered from outdoor life, much in the same way that her own was, and there were a few faint freckles across his nose. His eyes were widely expressive and bright blue, and his hair was coloured with every shade of blond in golden streaks. The fairy flew out of the boy's hat and in a circle around his head. Now Malon couldn't not comment on it.

"A fairy?" she said interestedly. "You must be a fairy boy from the forest!"

Smirking, the boy said in a rather self-satisfied way, "Yeah, I am." Apparently this fairy was a source of some prestige. "Her name's Navi."

"Hi," said the blue sparkle in a cheerful voice, fluttering around Malon's face curiously.

"Hi…" Malon greeted her, blinking. To the boy, she asked, "What's your name?" She found herself unexpectedly shy, but credited this to simply the fact that she had never met a Kokiri before. He was exotic and intriguing, and seemed to feel the same way about her. Possibly he had never met a Hylian before.

"I'm Link. Who are you?"

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Malon Roku," she told him.

"Uh…Pleased to meet you, too," he added hurriedly. Forest children didn't have anyone to teach them formalities and manners, but he was willing to try them out.

Smiling at his awkwardness, Malon continued, to make him feel more comfortable talking to her. "I live on the ranch south of here, Lon Lon Ranch. Me and my dad, Talon, own it. And Mr Ingo works for us."

"Oh," Link said, looking intrigued. "What sorts of stuff do you…do there?"

"We raise animals," Malon told him, slightly puzzled that he didn't know what was at a ranch. But then, there was no ranch in the forest. Deciding to elaborate, she explained, "Horses and cows and Cuccos."

"Oh," Link said again. "That sounds neat."

"It is. I love animals."

"Yeah, they're nice. We have different ones in the forest, but I've heard of horses and things. I've never seen one, though. Is it true that you can actually sit on them and ride them to go places faster?"

"Yes," Malon told him, struggling not to laugh at his wonder at such everyday things. She composed herself by reasoning that things which seemed normal to him would probably have her acting just as awe-struck as he was now. "Is that why you left the forest? To see horses and things?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Well, I do want to see everything, but I left because… It's kind of a long story. Point is, I have to get up to the castle, to see the princess."

Malon raised her eyebrows, impressed, but also slightly bewildered. "Princess Zelda? Do you know her?"

"No," Link answered slowly, "I've never met her. The Great Deku Tree sent me to talk to her, though, so I have to. That's the castle up there, right?"

He pointed north, at the massive form of Hyrule Castle that overlooked the town in the foothills like a benevolent parent.

"Of course," Malon confirmed. Hesitantly, she added, "They won't just let you walk in and talk to her, though."

"No, I didn't think they would," Link replied, unfazed. "What do I have to do to make them let me?"

Blinking in surprise, Malon said, "I don't think they'll ever let you. No matter what you do. There's guards all over the place, and they aren't going to let anyone get in."

Link twisted his face into a thoughtful frown, but only for a moment. Then he shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Oh, well. I'll figure something out."

His unabashed ability overlook potential dangers impressed Malon, in a strange way. Something occurred to her.

"Hey, if you're going up to the castle, would you mind looking out for my dad?" she asked, on inspiration. When Link looked bewildered, she informed him, "He was delivering milk up to the castle, and he must have fallen asleep. He does that sometimes. What a silly thing for an adult to do!" she added with a laugh. Link joined her, seeing the humour in the mental image of a fully grown man lying asleep on the castle grounds.

"So if I see him, you want me to tell him that you're waiting for him out here?"

"Yes, please. If it's not too much trouble."

"No problem. I'm on my way up now. See you around…Malon," he added, waving as he started towards the castle path.

"Bye…Fairy Boy." The words came out of her mouth almost without her consent. She just couldn't resist. He paused briefly to look back and grin at the nickname before running off.

Moments after Malon watched him disappear, it struck her that she could follow him. She needed to get closer to the castle anyway, so why not? Hopping up off of her seat on the fountain, she made her way up the hill.

Just as she came around the bend in the path which would bring the gate up to the castle into sight, she heard a man's voice shout, "Get out and stay out, stupid kid!" A short, childish cry of pain followed, and Malon peered around the corner to see Link lying on his back just outside the gate, and a guard who had just tossed him there walking away. Muttering in annoyance, Link sat up and brushed himself off, then rose to his feet and turned around, starting off away from the castle. Startled, Malon pulled herself back up against the vine-covered ledge behind her, hoping he would just pass her by.

"Malon?"

He had walked right up to her, and looked surprised to see her.

"Hi, Fairy Boy," she said, smiling and thinking fast.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just came up to see if I could see my dad from here," she told him. It was half of the truth, and it seemed to satisfy him. He nodded.

"You don't seem to be having any luck getting in," she observed, trying not to laugh.

Link smirked and shrugged, apparently willing to laugh at his own mistakes. "Not really. But it's okay. Those guards don't know what they're up against."

Malon giggled. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Yeah…or else I'll just be here 'til the end of time."

There was a pause, during which they continued to stand there and look at each other. Malon wondered what he was waiting for. Then Link cleared his throat and said, "Can I get past you? I need those vines."

"Oh!" said Malon with a startled laugh. "Yeah, of course."

She stepped out of the way, and watched as he climbed up the vines onto a ledge level with the castle gate. So that was how he got in; over the top.

Anticipating that Link might get thrown out again, Malon continued to wait by the vines, singing quietly to herself. It didn't cross her mind to wonder why she should care about or want to see this boy again. It did, however, strike her as odd that she was almost excited to hear an angry voice snap again, "I told you to _stay out_, stupid kid!"

Peering around her corner, she saw an armoured guard throwing Link bodily out of the gate by the tunic before slamming the door shut. She flinched as she saw him hit the ground, head striking hard. He lay there for a moment without moving, and she stepped forward to see if he was okay, standing over him to smile down as he rubbed his head and groaned.

"Hi, Fairy Boy."

Blinking the spots out of his eyes, he managed to focus them enough to see who was speaking.

"Oh…hi, Malon," he said with a faint smile, once he recognized her.

"No luck yet?" she asked as he stood up.

"Nah. I got in a bit further that time, but I don't even really know where I'm going. If I could just get to a door…"

Although he was muttering to himself more than anything else as they made their way back to the vines, it still gave her an idea.

"I know where there's a side door," she spoke up.

Link turned to her sharply. "Really?"

She nodded.

"How d'you know that?"

"I've gone on deliveries with my dad before," she replied with a shrug. "I don't know if you'd be able to find the princess from there, but it might be a start."

"It sure would!" Link agreed vehemently. "Can you show me where it is?"

"Sure. On the right hand side of the—"

"No, show me."

She stared at him blankly for a moment, wondering what he could possibly mean. When he didn't explain, she asked, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Show me. Come with me over the gate and show me where it is."

Malon's mouth fell open. "Sneak into the _castle_? I can't do that!"

"You're helping me do it," Link pointed out. "There's no difference. Come on, Malon, I need your help. And you might find your dad while you're there."

She hesitated a moment longer, but really, she couldn't argue with him. There wasn't much of a difference between breaching castle security and helping someone else to do the same…and it might be fun.

"Okay," she agreed, smiling.

Pleased, Link said, "All right, then. Come on."

He seized a handful of the vines and began to make his way up the sheer wall again, Malon following. She may not have spent quite as much time climbing trees as he had, but it was one of her favourite hobbies nonetheless, and so she made it up with almost as much dexterity as he did. When they had both reached the top, he put a finger to his lips to indicate that she should be quiet, she nodded, having concluded already that this would be best course of action, and followed him silently over the low plateau.

It led them to a hole in the top of the main gate, presumably a place for guards to come through to stand watch, which contained a ladder. Link went down first, and Malon followed, ending up inside the stone column of the gate itself. They slipped out of the doorway, closing it silently behind them. Then the hard part began.

As of yet, they were still out of sight of the guards, so they took a moment to plan. Link turned to Malon expectantly, waiting for her to tell him which way the door was. She pointed straight ahead, indicating that it was on the right hand side of the castle from where they stood. He frowned and shook his head; they couldn't head directly for it.

As Malon gazed around slowly, taking in the details of the grounds and trying to think from her own experiences if there was a safe route, Link shrugged and gestured for her to follow. She did.

He veered slightly left, keeping along the bottom of a slight hill and following the curve of the main path. Soon, however, it became apparent that they would fall directly into the line of sight of two guards if they stayed on the main road. If they turned right, they would cross in front of the same guards. So, exchanging a mutual look of understanding, they turned left up the hill.

Crawling up the slope, to stay out of sight by staying low, they found themselves on the lush grass of the delicately manicured grounds of Hyrule Castle.

The only logical thing was too keep heading more or less left, to keep off the main path, which was sure to be the most heavily guarded. Malon was beginning to wonder just how they were going to get to a door on the right side of the castle when they were heading in almost exactly the wrong direction, but she couldn't point that out. They had to be quiet and think this through…

Link glanced at her briefly, then, without a word, stood up and took her by the hand. Panicking slightly, she resisted the urge to cry out in surprise as he darted across the grass, leading her along behind him. She wanted to ask what he thought he was doing, and point out that they were far more likely to get caught by standing up and running than by staying low and crawling, but it was far too late to object now. Besides that, she noticed, they _weren't_ getting caught. Hitching up her skirt so that she could run faster, she decided to simply go with it and pray. Fate seemed to be on their side thus far.

They reached a corner of the grounds, a place where the stone foundation of the castle met the steeper slopes of the hills that surrounded it protectively. It formed a sort of hidden corner, where no one would be able to see them, and they ran straight into the wall to come to a halt, laughing breathlessly.

"I can't believe that worked," Malon said in a trembling whisper. She herself was still shaking slightly out of nerves, and brushed her hair from her face.

Link grinned. "Me, neither. But this is further than I made it before, so I'm not complaining. Now we just have to get to the other side of the castle, right?"

Malon nodded, casting her gaze thoughtfully over the border they stood before, essentially a low stone wall separating them from the castle building. There were only two guards within sight, standing on either side of where the path across the grounds met the castle entrance, just on the close side of the moat.

"If we could get behind them and stay out of sight, I think we'd be pretty much home free," she said slowly. "So we have to get up this wall… Can we climb it?"

Link touched the stone with one hand, frowning as he evaluated it. "Yes," he decided, "it's not totally smooth. It'll be kind of tricky, but I think it's doable."

Malon looked at it as well. "I don't know…maybe you can, but those aren't very good hand and foot holds."

"All right, then. Here."

Again she was alarmed at his sudden act as he reached down and wrapped his arms around her knees, standing up with surprising strength so that she was sitting on his shoulder, elevated enough to simply scramble onto over the low wall. This she did, too stunned to protest, and then watched as he nimbly climbed the wall himself.

When he had reached her side, he frowned slightly and asked, "Something wrong?"

She realized she was flushing in embarrassment at what had been very personal contact with a boy she barely knew. He, however, clearly didn't think anything of it.

"No…no, nothing," she said hurriedly, shaking her head as if this could diffuse the heat that had risen to it. "Let's go."

Evidently willing not to pursue the incident, Link glanced in the direction they were trying to go, and said momentarily, "I think we have to go for a swim."

"In the moat?"

"Where else? There's no way they'll see us if we're behind and below them."

It was a good point. And they were so far in that they might as well go further. Malon posed no objection as she followed him towards the water, diving in right after him without hesitation.

Suddenly it struck her as hilarious. She was swimming in the moat, having broken into the castle grounds, with a Kokiri boy who had left the forest, on her way to find her father and the Princess of Hyrule. Her dress was something of an encumbrance while swimming, but the current was strong enough that this hardly mattered. In fact, the hard part was managing to stop themselves, by grabbing the edge just as they came around a corner. With much awkward splashing and scrabbling for a good grip, along with struggling not to laugh at how stupid they both knew they must look, they managed to haul themselves out of the water and collapse on the edge, close to bursting with contained mirth. They couldn't have made it this far only to give themselves away. But on the other hand, they were probably out of earshot of the guards.

And when Navi darted out of Link's hat, wings heavy and sparkle diminished by how sopping wet she was, it became impossible for either of them to resist the urge to burst out laughing.

"Oh, cut it out!" the fairy snapped irritably. "It's not funny! You nearly drowned me, Link, you idiot!"

"Sorry, Navi," he choked out. "I didn't even think—"

"No, you didn't! You owe me big time for this one!"

"I know," he said, regaining some of his composure and meeting his fairy's gaze evenly. "Sorry. I'll warn you next time I'm planning on jumping into water."

"You had better."

"I said I was sorry."

"Apology accepted," she said imperiously, with the air of a fairy who was definitely going to use this as an excuse to call in a favour later. "Now let's keep moving."

"Right."

Link caught Malon's eye, and both had to look away to control the sudden desire to laugh again.

Malon herself glanced in the direction they were heading, as they were now standing ten unimpeded feet from the side door she knew of, and received a slight shock.

"Oh!"

"What?" asked Link, looking in the same direction. He immediately spotted what she had; a stocky man with a dark ponytail, lying fast asleep with his head on one of two crates which bore the logo of a head of cattle. "Is that your dad?"

Malon nodded, wondering as she did why she was faintly disappointed that her brief adventure with Link was over. Well, she supposed it was natural for a girl to want some excitement in her life.

"I'll wake him up, then, I guess," she decided, approaching with Link at her side. Shaking Talon gently by the shoulder, she said, "Hey… Hey, Dad! Wake up, Dad!"

He gave a sleepy snort and muttered, "I'm comin', Malon…"

She rolled her eyes as Link stifled his laughter.

"Here, let me try," he suggested, stepping forward.

Curiously, Malon watched as Link extended one finger, and poked Talon in the sensitive just below the ribcage. The man jumped in his sleep, giving a great grunt as he awakened, his head slipping from the crate and nearly dropping directly onto the stone behind him. Scrambling to a sitting position, he looked up as he blinked the sleep from his eyes and squinted in the sudden light of the sun.

"Oh…Malon!" he said, spotting his daughter. "And… Sorry, kid, but I don't think I know you…"

"I'm Link," the Kokiri informed him.

Before Talon could ask, Malon spoke up, "He's a friend of mine."

"Yeah?" Talon said, looking the boy over.

Malon noticed that her father was frowning at them, and wondered nervously what he was thinking.

"Why are you two all wet?" he asked slowly.

"Oh!" Malon laughed, feeling herself blush again and wiping streaks of bright hair out of her face as Link shook out his own darkened bangs and laughed. "We just…uh…fell in the moat."

"Both of you?"

Malon nodded quickly, as though there were nothing at all unusual about this.

"Okay, then," Talon said slowly, looking from one to the other as though he didn't believe this for a second but also didn't want to know the true story. "We should get back, Malon. Hope to see you 'round the ranch some time, Link. Be sure and drop by."

"I will," Link promised.

"See you soon," Malon called, waving back at him as she followed her father away.

"Definitely."

* * *

Every day, Malon stood out in the field with the horses and sang her mother's song to them. They all enjoyed it, but only one stood by her side and listened loyally for as long as she chose to sing. Her name was Epona, and this was only one of the reasons why she was Malon's favourite.

When she returned from her trip to the castle, passing the guards unchallenged now that she was with her father, though more than one did frown in confusion at the sight of her soaking wet from head to toe, the first thing she did was return to the corral to see how the horses had fared in her absence. Epona ran to her side immediately, seeking comfort for her mistress' absence in music, and Malon obliged.

Losing herself in the song was not hard, and she stood there happily with her eyes closed and one arm stroking her young horse's neck affectionately as the warm sun dried her skin and clothes. She couldn't have said for how long she remained still, slipping away into peace with the natural world…

Then, suddenly and inexplicably, Epona darted away.

"Epona?"

Opening her eyes, Malon called after her horse, puzzled. Then she spotted the distraction and smiled. "Hi, Fairy Boy."

"Hi, Malon," he answered vaguely, watching the filly that was carefully keeping her distance from him. "That's a horse, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Looks like Epona's scared of you," Malon told him. "She's like that a lot with strangers."

"Really? But I love animals." He looked at Malon, tilting his head and frowning. "I've always wanted to see a horse… Why would she be scared of me?"

Malon shrugged, not letting on how pleased she was by his words. Of course he was the type who would love animals, and she was delighted that he had that in common with her. "Do you want her to trust you, then?"

"Yes," Link answered, without hesitation.

"All right, then. Sing with me."

His eyes went wide. "Sing?"

"Yeah," Malon said with a laugh at his shock. "Epona likes this song."

"Uh…" He laughed, too, nervously. "I don't sing."

Just as her sprits had lifted when he said he liked animals, they sank now. If he didn't like music, that was a problem.

"I have this, though," he added. From inside his tunic, he pulled out a small, round instrument.

"Oh, cute ocarina!" she said happily, her doubts alleviated. "Are you going to play this song on it?"

"Sure. Can you teach it to me?"

"Okay. This is it." Malon sang a slow, calming tune, three descending notes, a lilting sound that filled the corral. Link listened carefully to the music, a faraway expression on his face. When she fell silent, he didn't move.

"Now you try," she urged him gently.

"Huh? Oh, right!" He appeared to come out of a trance, but only slightly, because he closed his eyes meditatively and placed the ocarina to his lips to imitate her song. At once, Epona turned around and hurried up to them both, nuzzling Link enthusiastically. He and Malon both laughed.

"Hey, I did it! Wow, now she's really friendly, huh?"

Malon nodded, giggling as her horse continued to whinny and nudge him.

"Okay, Epona," Link said to the horse, gently pushing her back. "You can back off a little now."

"She's grown fond of you, Fairy Boy," she informed him. Patting Epona's nose, Link looked up at Malon and grinned. In that split second, the girl was tempted to add, She's not the only one.

* * *

Several times after that, Link returned to the ranch and visited Malon. They usually just stood in the corral and talked, sometimes visited by Epona. As days went by, Malon had to be honest with herself. She had a crush on him.

There was one problem, though. He was a Kokiri. She knew this, of course, but one of the things she _hadn't_ known until he told her was that Kokiri didn't age. In other words, he was now and always would be a child. Right now, while she was a child as well, that didn't matter. But as she grew up and he didn't, how would things change?

Over dinner one evening, she stared at her plate and considered this yet again.

"What are you thinking about, Malon?" asked Talon.

Momentarily, she blinked and looked up at him. "Oh," she said, finding her voice. "I… Nothing."

This wasn't something she could share with her father, and she was grateful he didn't pursue it further.

As she helped him clean up the meal once they had finished, Talon commented conversationally, "So you've made a little friend, huh?"

She knew who he meant; Link had visited that day. Maybe he suspected what she had been mulling over. Feeling herself turn scarlet, she said in an attempt at the same tone of voice he had used, "Oh… You mean Link?"

"'Course that's who I mean."

"Yeah. Yeah, we're friends."

Talon grinned at her. "He's a good boy. Real good with animals."

Malon nodded.

"Gonna grow up to be a handsome man, too, huh?"

"Dad!" shrieked Malon, her face on fire with embarrassment. Talon laughed heartily.

"Oh, like you don't know what I'm talking about! You're sweet on him, girl, I can tell."

"No, I am not!"

Talon shook his head and continued to chuckle to himself as his daughter glared at him. "Fine, fine. We'll just see, then, won't we?"

"No, we won't," Malon countered firmly, standing by her position.

"Oh, really? And why's that?"

"Because…he's a Kokiri," she explained awkwardly, focusing on the plate she was drying with more attention than necessary. "They never grow up! He's going to be just the way he is now, forever. He won't grow up."

Feeling her father's gaze upon her, she looked up just as he looked away. The teasing smile was gone from his face and his eyes. "Is that so?" he asked.

"Yes."

A silence fell between them.

"I see."

They both knew that Malon and Link's friendship had to be short lived, because they no doubt would lose interest in each other as the age gap between them widened. Soon they would belong to even more completely different worlds than they already did.

But still…

It was true that Link had started playing a large role in her daydreams. Like any girl, she grew up on fairy tales of knights in shining armour that swept damsels in distress off their feet before riding away on a snow white stallion…or a wild reddish-brown mare.

No matter what she told herself, though, no matter what she thought of him, no matter how much she liked him, she couldn't do anything about the fact that they were too different.

However, the day she and Talon discussed him was the last day Link appeared at Lon Lon Ranch. Not long after that, the infamous Ganon's Coup changed Hyrule forever.

At first, the ranch remained largely unchanged, and Malon thought that perhaps Link was merely busy with something when over a week went by without a visit from him. When this turned to months, though, the darkness that covered the kingdom began to spread to Lon Lon Ranch. First Ingo took over, forcing Talon away and running the operation under loyalty to Ganondorf. And she began to suspect that Link had gone home to the forest, the one land surely safe from all this corruption, and forgotten her.

Months extended to years, and Malon's life grew steadily worse. Ingo had always been difficult, pessimistic, but a basically decent person. Power had viciously corrupted him, though, and he now controlled the ranch with an iron fist.

During the days, Malon spent her time in the stables, because Ingo spent his time at the corral. Overnight, she stood out in the open space, watching the stars and singing to herself the song that reminded her of all the things she loved: her mother, Epona, and Link.

She was older now, and knew that wherever he was, he was just the same as he had always been. But she still cared about him just as much as she had always done, and somehow, this was more painful than if her feelings had changed. She knew that if she saw him again, she would be thrilled to have a chance to act like she was ten years old again, recklessly jumping into the moat of Hyrule Castle…

But she was different. And Hyrule Castle was different. Only he was the same, and she didn't want to inflict the suffering of change upon him. As long as he was far away from her and Hyrule, he was safe.

When the sun rose each morning, and the wind rose with it, her song died away, and she always felt the stiffness of the tears on her face that she had cried all night without knowing it.

_When the rain's blowing in your face_

_And the whole world is on your case_

_I would offer you a warm embrace_

_To make you feel my love_

_When evening shadows and the stars appear_

_And there is no one to dry your tears_

_I could hold you for a million years_

_To make you feel my love_


	2. Hero of Time

**PART TWO: HERO OF TIME**

_Storms are raging on a rolling sea_

_Down the highway of regret_

_The winds of change are blowing wild and free_

_But you ain't seen nothing like me yet_

_There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do_

_Go to the ends of earth for you_

_Make you happy, make your dreams come true_

_To make you feel my love_

Ingo had ordered Malon to clean the stables and water the cows, and she didn't dare disobey. He could be horribly cruel to the horses; the only reason he was anywhere near kind to her was that the mysterious Sheik had one day appeared at the ranch and threatened him. Ingo knew that if he hurt Malon, the survivor of the Sheikah would personally make him pay. But the former ranch hand was still an overbearing ruler, like Ganondorf himself, who still dominated over Hyrule Castle. He had done so for seven years now. And Malon had lost all hope of salvation; even the memory of her closest childhood friend, the one person whose bright, eternally youthful spirit she could turn to in times of trouble, had begun to tarnish and fade.

Working was difficult when she was half dead with despair, and she had to pause often just to rest her exhausted and strained spirit. She did so when she had watered the last cow; still holding the now empty bucket, she leaned against the small, fenced in square in which held extra hay. Closing her eyes, she sighed heavily, and felt a deep sob quivering somewhere within her and threatening to escape. As always, she forced it down.

Just as she did, the door opened. Malon looked up, dread rising slightly within her. She expected to see Ingo angrily wondering what was taking her so long. When she saw who it was, however, her mouth fell open.

He was dressed in a green tunic and leather boots, green hat, white tights, leather gauntlets, and earrings, and was armed with a sword and shield. He stood just taller than her, and his body was built for intense physical warfare. He had bright gold hair and bright blue eyes, and those were what she recognized. Her heart leapt so high and quickly that it was almost painful. After so many years, she hardly dared to believe it could really be—

But—no. It couldn't be. Link was a Kokiri, and this man, however much he dressed like a forest child, was most definitely a Hylian of her own age. Someone completely different. And even if he had been Link, he wouldn't have remembered her, and he certainly wouldn't have been prepared for the greeting she would have liked to give him. She would therefore remain calm, no matter how hard it was.

Managing a smile, though it cost her a great deal of effort, she put on a businesslike tone and said, "Oh, hi… We haven't had a visitor here in a long time. Can I help you with something?"

"You're Malon, right?" he said, looking at her closely.

"Yes, that's right." She still wasn't sure exactly how behave around him. He knew her name. Had Ingo told him about her?

"You work here? For Ingo?"

Goddesses, he looked so much like Link… She could almost believe that her old friend had somehow left the forest and grown up…

She looked down. "Yes, I do."

"Something wrong?" he asked quietly, taking a step towards her.

Feeling herself nearly the breaking point, wishing he were Link, and that Link still remembered and cared about her, so that she could fall into his arms and cry, she managed to say, "It's nothing, it's just…Mr Ingo. He's a tough boss, you know, but really…"

He was frowning angrily. "Are you okay? I mean, living here. Are you…safe?"

"Oh, yes," she assured him, roughly wiping away the tears that threatened to slip from her eyes. "I just worry sometimes, you know, about the horses. Mr Ingo is all right to me, but to the horses…"

"What about Epona?"

Malon looked at him in surprise. He knew Epona, just as he had known her name. How…?

"He wants to train Epona into a horse for Ganondorf."

Now the man was scowling even further. "Really?"

Malon nodded.

He made a noise like a disapproving growl in his throat. "Don't worry about that," he said, and left quickly.

At first, Malon simply stood there, puzzled. Who was this stranger, appearing from nowhere like a soldier of fortune, apparently concerned enough about her and Epona to be willing to do something about their situation when he had no ties to them at all. Maybe he simply saw the injustice that was taking place here, as Sheik had done, and felt it was enough of a cause to fight for even if he didn't have a personal stake in it.

Yet that wouldn't answer the other question: how did he know their names?

After trying fruitlessly to return to her work, she gave in to the urge to go outside and see exactly what he was planning.

The scene was a total surprise. There was the stranger, riding Epona around the outside of the corral, with Ingo just behind him on another horse. Malon watched as they came charging around the last corner, towards the corral gate, the leader urging Epona on over the finish line. Even as she marvelled at the fact that this man had somehow tamed the most strong-willed horse in Hyrule, he crossed first and let out a whoop of victory, but it was lost in Ingo's cry of horror. Malon, though she didn't know what was going on, jumped and cheered for the victor anyway.

Ingo jumped down from his own mount, still positively howling with frustration, to stand between Epona and her rider and their way out.

"How did you tame that wild horse under my nose?!" he shouted spitting in fury. "You— You— Fine!" Calming down slightly, though still breathing hard out his nose, he glared wickedly and said, "I'll keep my promise. You can have the horse."

Malon let out another short cry of delight, clapping her hands together happily.

"But," Ingo added, sneering, "I will never let you leave this ranch." With that, he slammed shut the gates, chuckling aggressively under his breath in satisfaction that he had at least won this small triumph.

Malon's heart sank as she immediately stopped cheering. But an instant later, her willpower rose, and she decided not to be so easily beaten. Just as she was about to storm up to Ingo and demand that he let his prisoners go…

"The winds are changing, Ingo. Renounce the King of Evil while you still can!"

Epona made a flying leap over his head and away. Malon laughed with fierce pleasure at the sight of Ingo gaping after the horse and rider as they escaped.

With her favourite horse free, Malon had nothing to lose. Grinning with fierce determination, she vowed right there that she would no longer stand for any of the abuse and hardship that Ingo dealt out on the ranch that belonged to her and her alone. Now…

"_Malon_!"

He had spotted her, and was shooting her a glare that would normally have sent cold fear into her heart. Not anymore. Holding her head high, she strode up to him with confidence.

"Yes, Mr Ingo?" she asked coolly. Despite her determination to remain strong, she couldn't help noticing that the fury on his face was greater than any she had ever seen there.

His voice was a bestial growl as he demanded slowly, "_What did you do_?"

She returned his iciness. "What are you talking about?"

"That boy just took my best horse!" Ingo spat, waving an arm angrily towards where horse and rider had disappeared from view. "The horse who won't listen to anyone but _you_! And that little brat, who's never so much as sat on a horse in his life, somehow managed to tame her! How do you think that happened?!"

"I don't know," she said, without blinking. "He must just love animals."

As she spoke, she could hear Link's ten-year-old voice in her mind. He would want to see her strong like this, not as weak as she had allowed herself to become. She realized, with a surge of guilt, that she had forgotten him as much as he had forgotten her. Yet another reason to put an end to all of this now.

Ingo was inarticulate with rage. "You—He—That's a lie and you know it!" he finally roared. "He had no reason to want that horse, of all horses, unless you wanted him to take it! So _what did you do_?! What did you do for him that he needed to repay the favour?!" Narrowing his eyes, he looked her over briefly and added in a growl, "As if I couldn't guess, you little slut."

Malon felt as though he had slapped her, though it had been at least three years since he had done any such thing. This defamation of her character hurt just as much as any physical blow could have done. "I've never even _seen_ him before!" she snapped, feeling tears sting behind her eyes. "How _dare_ you accuse me of—"

"Don't lie to me!"

Before she could react, he _had_ slapped her, a vicious backhand of such power that she took a step backwards, such as he hadn't delivered against her since Sheik's threats. A few tears did escape her eyes, though she blinked to fight them back and refuse to admit weakness.

"How stupid do you think I am?!" he demanded forcefully. "First you get that Sheikah boy to help you, and then this one turns up! You expect me to believe that you didn't have to _persuade_ them at all—"

As he spoke, he drew back his arm sharply to strike her again, but he cut himself off when a leather-gauntleted grip fixed, vice-like, around his wrist, and a voice of deadly, venomous calm said, "Excuse me."

Stunned, Ingo turned to see who had spoken, and his face was brutally introduced to the fist of the stranger who had taken Epona.

Malon gave a cry of shock and jumped back with her hands clasped over her mouth as Ingo crumpled. Wide-eyed, she watched the younger man deliver a powerful kick to his stomach before hauling him back to his feet again by the frilled collar of his ridiculous nobleman's outfit to snarl in his face, with an expression that was so furious that Malon was frightened to see it.

"If you _ever_ even _think_ about laying a hand on her again, you'll have me to answer to. Got it?"

Even as Ingo tried to choke out a reply, his attacker continued.

"This is _her_ ranch, which means from now on, _you_ know your place, and that is wherever she tells you to be. Now go change out of those stupid clothes and into something suited for a farmhand, because you've got a hell of lot of work to do."

He flung Ingo aside ferociously, and the clearly terrified man struck the ground hard before managing find his feet and scramble away into the house. His assaulter glared venomous daggers after him before turning his attention to Malon.

"Are you okay?"

She was still staring at this man with an expression of overt bewilderment. She felt so stunned that she almost didn't understand what he had just said. She certainly had no idea what had just happened. The young man who had just so viciously beaten Ingo looked completely different again now that his wrath had melted away into genuine concern.

"Yes—I—I mean…thank you," she finally managed, unable to think of what to say first.

She really couldn't believe how much he looked like Link…

He smirked. "No problem."

"But…who are you?" she asked, frowning as she studied his face, trying to read it. "I don't even know your name…why are you helping me?"

His face darkened, as if the question were a difficult one that he would have preferred not to answer. Slowly, he began, "Malon…I—"

"And how do you know my name?" she added suddenly. "And Epona's? And how did you tame her? _Why_ did you tame her? She never trusts strangers."

. "I'm not a stranger," Link replied. "And Ingo was right…"

Indignation flared within her at these words; exactly what did he think he deserved in payment for his help?

"…you did help me."

"I've never even met you," she insisted, though she didn't know quite what he was saying. He didn't seem to be levelling the same accusations as Ingo had done.

In fact, he looked almost hurt at her words. He dropped his gaze, and if she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was almost ashamed of himself.

"Malon, I—" He paused, then tried again, still without looking at her. "I know it's been awhile, but…"

He lifted his eyes to her. Those bright blue eyes, framed beneath hair streaked with every shade of gold, that looked impossibly like those of her old friend…

He smiled, and suddenly she was ten years old again, sitting on the fountain in Hyrule Castle Town, introducing herself to a boy with a fairy…

"It's me."

Even as he spoke, she realized that it was true. He was a Kokiri, he couldn't grow up, but he _had_, and here he stood before her. She couldn't feel her body, but she felt the tears return to her eyes.

"You—you—" she stammered, "I—How—"

He said nothing, but patiently waited for her to achieve a sentence. Even if she had been able to think clearly enough to speak, she wouldn't have known what to say.

Finally she breathed, "_Link_?"

He nodded slowly, smiling more widely and apparently pleased that she knew who he was.

"Of course," she said, unable to contain her happiness. "I thought you weren't… I knew you looked familiar… It's been so long… I can't believe…"

He gave a slight laugh at her awkwardness. "So you do remember me."

"_Remember_ you?! Goddesses, Link, how could I ever… It's been _much_ too long since I saw you last," she told him sincerely. There was more truth in that statement than she could possibly explain.

"Yeah…" he agreed, his voice suddenly slightly hoarse. "It really has…"

She found herself wondering if it would be incredibly inappropriate to kiss him right now. She had wanted to when they were both ten, but had thought, especially given that he was a child raised by children, that he seemed like the type of boy who still thought girls were yucky. However, she thought, this was most likely not a problem anymore. And he was certainly standing very close to her. And as a child, he had been cute, but now, he was absolutely gorgeous. Deciding to test the limits, she reached up to give him a peck on her cheek, but he tilted his head, and his lips brushed hers.

Startled, she pulled away, and clearly left him thinking that he had completely misread her intentions. "Oh," he said awkwardly, avoiding her eyes. "Sorry."

Obviously wanting to avoid further humiliation, he moved to go.

But she had vowed to be strong, to fight for what she wanted. She reached out a hand just far enough to touch his arm lightly.

"No," she replied softly, "don't be."

He stopped, looking back at her uncertainly, and they both smiled.

"Are you sure?" he asked, eyes gleaming.

Although she wasn't sure where this was going, she was curious to find out. "Of course."

"Okay, then…"

And in a moment that she wouldn't have ever dared imagine, even if she had ever dared imagine that Link might actually grow into a man, he took her by the arms and pulled her in towards him, locking her an intense kiss. She was momentarily too stunned to react, either with affection or rejection; when she recovered, it occurred to her to tell him how completely inappropriate this was. Except that she had absolutely no desire to do so. Her racing mind gave in to the pleasure, and she returned the gesture by kissing him back willingly.

When he released her, she was left slightly breathless. Some part of her was aware that she had never really thought people could be left breathless by a kiss, but apparently that part of her had been wrong. She didn't know exactly what to say. Her body was still in shock, and there was a new sort of electricity between the two of them now. It was nearly impossible to resist the desire to kiss him again. After a moment, she noticed that he was still waiting for her reaction. Her face was blank.

"Oh…uh…" she stammered, finding that her mouth suddenly didn't know how to make words. Actions spoke so much louder.

"So?" Link asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"I don't know…what just happened," she finally said.

"Well, I could show you again, if you like," he offered with a smile, moving to draw her towards him again.

"No," she said quickly. "I mean, I know what happened, but…"

His smiled faded, and he dropped the hand that he had raised towards her face. "Oh. But… I thought you said—"

He was cut off when she reached for him and pulled his mouth back down to hers; a little voice in her head had asked why exactly she had just told him "no," and then she had decided that it made much more sense to do what she was thinking instead of trying to explain it. She felt him react the same way she had done, startled at her assertiveness, but, like her, he also had no objection whatsoever. When he removed his lips slightly from hers, she hesitated and wondered what he was going to do, but he only said, "I guess that answers my question."

She giggled, something she hadn't done in years. The feeling of him wrapping his arms around her waist made her stomach flip over, and sliding her own arms around his neck felt like the natural response.

It felt like hours that they stood there like that, but it also felt like it had been only seconds when he pulled away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly. She could not conceive of any reason for which he would possibly want to end this moment.

"Nothing," he said, casting his gaze down, but still holding her gently. "I just… I have to go." He dropped his arms to his side and took a step backwards. "I have things to do."

She caught a glimpse of the concern in his eyes, which must have been why he wasn't looking at her. He didn't want her to see it. His face also clearly said that he would rather stay here than go away to whatever he needed to do.

"All right," she said, knowing that she shouldn't ask him to stay. He wouldn't be able to go if she did, and it was obvious that he needed to.

He nodded wordlessly, then said a quiet, "Bye," and turned to go.

Link was leaving again. Seven years ago he had left, just when she had come close to admitting how she felt. He had disappeared. Panic rose within her, fear that he was leaving her again for too long. That was something she knew she wouldn't be able to endure, not again, not now, not after—

"You'll come back…won't you…Link?" She couldn't resist calling after him, but somehow she doubted he would want to be called Fairy Boy after what they had just shared. Besides, she hadn't called him that in seven years. He probably wouldn't even remember.

Smiling a bit, he said, "Why so formal? What happened to Fairy Boy?"

He did remember. He remembered every detail as though it had been yesterday. Slightly puzzled, she cocked her head and corrected herself, "Are you coming back soon, Fairy Boy?"

Now satisfied, he answered, "Like anything could keep me away."

This would have been reassuring, except…

"Something did before."

His face fell slightly, and his expression was guarded. It was glaringly obvious that he wasn't telling her something. "Yeah. Well. I know, but…"

She wanted to trust him. Never, as long as she had known him, had she ever had a reason not to trust him. If he didn't trust her, though, then maybe she was wrong to open herself up to him.

As if he were speaking them aloud, she could practically hear his thoughts just by looking at his face. He wanted to trust her, but he didn't know if he could.

Finally, he spoke.

"Malon… The truth is…I don't know what's going on," he said heavily. "I haven't been here for the past seven years—I don't really know where I have been—I don't think I've been anywhere at all."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, taking half a step towards him in surprise. "Weren't you in the forest?"

He shook his head. "I was… I went… It's really hard to explain," he finished unhappily. "Like I said, I don't understand it. I mean, look at me!" He held out his arms and frowned down at his adult body. "I'm a Kokiri, I'm not even ever supposed to become—this!"

As he spoke, he looked so genuinely lost that she could tell he wasn't just trying to simplify or hide the truth from her, and nor was he making up a nonsensical lie to excuse his long absence. He honestly didn't understand what had happened to him.

"Well," she said carefully, approaching him to look him over thoughtfully, stroking his arm as she spoke, "I don't know about you, but…I'm glad you became this."

Flicking her gaze up towards him, she smiled in a playful way that, when combined with her gentle touch as her hand rested just above his gauntlet, made it impossible for him not to return the gesture.

"Yeah…" he agreed slowly. "There's definitely some good things about being a grown up."

She laughed quietly, and moved in to kiss him again, but just before their lips touched, they both heard the sound of a door slamming shut and jumped apart—Ingo had returned, dressed in the outfit he had always worn as a farmhand in the days before Ganondorf's Coup. He was standing carefully apart from them, clearly still concerned that Link would hurt him again, but Malon still felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and pulled slightly away from Link, folding her hands behind her back as he laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I guess… I should go then."

She nodded. "I guess."

"But I will come back," he promised. "And as soon as I can understand all this, you'll be the first person I tell."

Wondering if she should trust him didn't even cross her mind. It wasn't a question, it was an obvious answer. Smiling, she told him, "Thank you again. For everything."

"Hey, it was no big deal," he said, shrugging, but looking pleased with himself nonetheless. "Did you think I'd just forget about you or something?"

"I guess I should have known better," she laughed, smiling widely.

Before he left, he gave one last grin, drew her into a brief kiss, and said, "See you soon."

Watching him walk away, with half a smile on her face, she found that for the first time in too many years, the song that swelled within her and out of her lips was one of real, pure happiness with life.

That was the first kiss, and, though there had been innumerably more since, to Malon, it was still the best. It was the first fantasy of hers that had come true.

_Every now and then_

_When the world that we're living in_

_Is crazy_

_You gladly hold me_

_And carry me through_

_No one in the world's ever done what you do for me_

_And I'd be_

_Sad and lonely_

_If there were no you…_

_How do I love you_

_Let me count the ways_

_There ain't no number high enough to end this phrase_

_Baby, completely_

_Wrapped up in you._


End file.
